The Keyboard

Imagine you work for a large company. And imagine that you have a great boss (they still exist). Your job is in the computer department. You sit all day at your keyboard and enter information.

When you started working there everything was exciting. Wow! ABC Bargain Stores ordered a thousand widgets! XYZ Stores sent us a check for a million dollars! Fantastic! Enter the data into the system.

But after a while, even the exciting parts became routine. The novelty wore off. So you mention it to your boss. Being a great boss (see above), he decides he’s going to add music to your keyboard. So now, every time you hit the “enter” key, you hear a symphony. The space bar plays a hit song from the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s. The number keys play the piano scale and the back space bar plays Rap.

Pretty soon, work becomes fun.
Pretty soon, you get to be creative.
Pretty soon, you forget about data entry and you start composing songs on your keyboard.

This is a world of fun. Disneyland, bonji jumping, the World Series, video games, shopping malls, restaurants and thousands of other pastimes. We take them all in and enjoy each one. Gd has provided us with a limitless way to get the most out of life.

But sometimes we lose sight of our job. We get distracted by the music and forget that our job is to use the keyboard provided to keep the “company” going.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto wrote in “The Path of the Just”, one of the most important Jewish books of philosophy ever written:

“All of the world’s pleasures are only for aiding and assisting mankind by providing him with the contentment and peace of mind needed for him to fulfill the service for which he was created.”

We each have our own service required of us. Sometimes it’s to improve our own personality traits. Sometimes it’s to be a care giver to others. Sometimes we are here with a broader perspective and potential and our job is to change the world.

Get into the real music of life. The name of that song is “Purpose”.